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“At first I thought it was a bus accident, because all i could see was yellow. Then I saw the smoke coming out of the house, and we came out and it was just completely engulfed,” neighbor Barbara Myers said.

Officials said the structure was a complete loss.

“It was fully involved straight through to this end. I could see it from town when we drove over the hill,” Fire Chief Mike Perrault said.

An older man and his dog escaped the blaze unharmed.

“Then they couldn't find his dog, and that was really sad, trying to find his dog, but they did find him running around,” Myers said.

Multiple American and Canadian crews provided mutual aid. The fire was located less than a mile from the Canadian border.

During emergency situations, first responders can cross the Canadian border to provide mutual aid.

“For us, if it's at night, we just have to cut the lock and we can go through, but if we have to come back we have to come back through Chateauguay or Mooers,” Perrault said.

Meanwhile, first responders are helping the homeowner find a place to stay.

“He's diabetic, but we've already talked to Red Cross and they're getting him set up with medications and everything, so he should be pretty well set up by the time we get done,” Perrault said.

“He looked very disoriented and he was very upset and he was crying. I can only imagine. He just lost everything he owned up there. That house is just a complete mess. There is nothing else at all for him,” Myers said.